Audrey Geisel applauds revival of 'lost' Dr. Seuss stories

“It’s Bippolo time,” says Audrey Geisel, who has a copy of her late husband’s newly released Dr. Seuss book in her La Jolla office, which used to be his. A young 90, Audrey is still actively involved in the legacy of her husband, Ted, better known as Dr. Seuss.

She was consulted on production of “The Bippolo Seed,” which assembles seven “lost” Dr. Seuss tales published in Redbook magazines in the early 1950s.

“I totally, wonderfully approve of anything that comes to light at this time of Ted’s work,” she said.

Audrey knows this is something he wanted, because Ted actually received a letter in 1991 not long before he died. It was from a woman who had kept a copy of “The Bippolo Seed” from Redbook, urging him to publish it in book form.

“Yes, maybe it’s time,” Ted had said then, but was too ill to follow through.

Susan Brandt, who handles licensing and marketing for Geisel, declined to discuss royalty arrangements but credited collector and Seuss aficionado Charles Cohen with finding the stories and pushing for the project, along with Ted’s former Random House adviser Cathy Goldsmith.

“We’re just thrilled to have the stories in a hardback book,” Brandt said.

Quote of note: When Port of San Diego Chairman Scott Peters was introduced as a new San Diego Foundation board member, long references were made to his many bar memberships: American Bar Association, California State Bar Association, San Diego County Bar, etc. Mayor Jerry Sanders then indicated he was quite surprised that, as busy as Peters is with the port, “he can spend so much time in so many bars.”

Grist for the mill: Rumors are rampant about Ashton Kutcher’s reported hot tub tryst with four naked ladies on the balcony of a Hard Rock Hotel suite here on Sept. 23. A story has surfaced in London’s Daily Mail quoting the boyfriend of one of the four party girls alleging that Kutcher cheated on his wife, Demi Moore, that night with blonde Texas beauty, Sara Leal, 23.

The Daily Mail said two women left the suite while Leal and a second lady stayed behind with the “Two and a Half Men” actor.